Agapanthus or lily-of-the-Nile (Agapanthus hybrids) produces large, round flower heads in a variety of shades of blue, from light sky blue to navy blue in early summer.

Written by

Dan Gill
LSU AgCenter Horticulturist

Blue, particularly true blue, is a color relatively rare among garden flowers. Blame the pollinators. Remember, flowers are not produced by plants for our enjoyment.

Many plants must attract pollinating organisms, such as insects or bird, to visit their flowers and carry pollen from flower to flower. The colors of the petals are strictly based on what will most effectively attract pollinators to visit the flowers and help with pollination. So how does this explain the rarity of blue flowers in nature? Apparently, blue is not that attractive to most insects and birds.